IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v17y2020i9p3120-d352322.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Mediating Effects of Specific Types of Coping Styles on the Relationship between Childhood Maltreatment and Depressive Symptoms among Chinese Undergraduates: The Role of Sex

Author

Listed:
  • Xianbing Song

    (Department of Human Anatomy, Histology & Embryology, Anhui Medical College, Hefei 230032, China
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Shanshan Wang

    (Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
    Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health & Aristogenics, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Rui Wang

    (Information Technology Office, Anqing Medical College, Anqing 246052, China)

  • Huiqiong Xu

    (Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
    Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health & Aristogenics, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China)

  • Zhicheng Jiang

    (Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
    Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health & Aristogenics, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China)

  • Shuqin Li

    (Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
    Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health & Aristogenics, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China)

  • Shichen Zhang

    (Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
    Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health & Aristogenics, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China)

  • Yuhui Wan

    (Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
    Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health & Aristogenics, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China)

Abstract

Although childhood maltreatment is known to be associated with depressive symptoms, few studies have investigated the mediating effect of different types of coping styles on this association. It is unknown whether the impacts vary by sex. We investigated the mediating effects of different coping styles on the relationship between childhood maltreatment and depressive symptoms among Chinese undergraduates, as well as the role of sex in the mediated pathways. A total of 7643 college freshmen and sophomores (5665 females, 1978 males; 4215 freshmen, 3428 sophomores; mean age, 19.67 years) from two colleges in China completed a standard questionnaire on the details of childhood maltreatment, depressive symptoms, and coping styles. Childhood maltreatment was significantly correlated with all coping styles and depressive symptoms studied ( p < 0.001). Problem solving, self-blame, help seeking, problem avoidance, and rationalization mediated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and depressive symptoms. The estimated ratio of the effect of childhood maltreatment on the occurrence of depressive symptoms can be explained by the mediation of problem solving, self-blame, help seeking, problem avoidance, and rationalization, which accounted for 15.1%, 25.6%, 7.4%, 1.6% and 1.6% of the total effect, respectively. Sex differences were found to have mediating effects on coping styles in terms of the relationship between childhood maltreatment and depressive symptoms. The findings illustrate the need to focus on coping styles and to employ sex-specific methods to effectively help college students reduce depressive symptoms associated with childhood maltreatment.

Suggested Citation

  • Xianbing Song & Shanshan Wang & Rui Wang & Huiqiong Xu & Zhicheng Jiang & Shuqin Li & Shichen Zhang & Yuhui Wan, 2020. "Mediating Effects of Specific Types of Coping Styles on the Relationship between Childhood Maltreatment and Depressive Symptoms among Chinese Undergraduates: The Role of Sex," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-13, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:9:p:3120-:d:352322
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/9/3120/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/9/3120/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Petal Petersen Williams & Carrie Brooke-Sumner & John Joska & James Kruger & Lieve Vanleeuw & Siphokazi Dada & Katherine Sorsdahl & Bronwyn Myers, 2020. "Young South African Women on Antiretroviral Therapy Perceptions of a Psychological Counselling Program to Reduce Heavy Drinking and Depression," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-16, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Bronwyn Myers & Charles D. H. Parry & Neo K. Morojele & Sebenzile Nkosi & Paul A. Shuper & Connie T. Kekwaletswe & Katherine R. Sorsdahl, 2020. "“Moving Forward with Life”: Acceptability of a Brief Alcohol Reduction Intervention for People Receiving Antiretroviral Therapy in South Africa," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-14, August.
    2. Bronwyn Myers & Tara Carney & Jennifer Rooney & Samantha Malatesta & Laura F. White & Charles D. H. Parry & Tara C. Bouton & Elizabeth J. Ragan & Charles Robert Horsburgh & Robin M. Warren & Karen R. , 2021. "Alcohol and Tobacco Use in a Tuberculosis Treatment Cohort during South Africa’s COVID-19 Sales Bans: A Case Series," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(10), pages 1-9, May.
    3. Bronwyn Myers & Felicia A. Browne & Tara Carney & Tracy Kline & Courtney Peasant Bonner & Wendee M. Wechsberg, 2021. "The Association of Recurrent and Multiple Types of Abuse with Adverse Mental Health, Substance Use, and Sexual Health Outcomes among Out-of-School Adolescent Girls and Young Women in Cape Town, South ," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-13, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:9:p:3120-:d:352322. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.